Goals Progress Report: January 2023

Vulnerability was a theme of January 2023. After a particularly isolating day, my brother gave me space to vent, and he thanked me for showing my humanness, before sharing some tips. Later, a colleague check-in led to ample sharing, and I now feel a little safer in being vulnerable. Though people-pleasing and independent work are learned behaviors, I need to recognize a new-to-me experience: I am no longer an island and can share real thoughts and feelings, whether I’m at work, writing online here, or elsewhere. Being honest means asking questions, listening, and being open to change. And that’s one reason why my word for 2023 is inner compass.

And there have been many thoughtful updates to my writing process, partially because my lifestyle is changing. While this is the 5th year(!) I’ve published goals on my website, it is the 2nd time I’ve posted a word for the year. Despite a decade of marketing experience, it took me 5 years to develop a structured routine for my own website. Honest work takes time. Meditating comes first, then I often journal or write a draft within the site backend. After draft 1, I rewrite and edit so the words are world-ready, then I finally publish, and this year, that’s on the 10th/20th/30th of each month. Occasionally, I’ll share to social, if I’m looking for encouragement or feedback. This content calendar lets me focus on the what’s and why’s, instead of the when’s and how’s!

2023 also marks the second time I’ve tried #DryJanuary, and it’s the first I’ve almost completely omitted all animal products and other vices, such as omitting caffeine on the weekends. Due to research, I have committed to formerly-omitted practices, such as reading scripture from a variety of world religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

On my run on Sunday (yesterday), I realized I have never deep-dived into the emotional traits behind my physical values of creating, exploring, learning, moving, and serving, and so the /Values webpage was born. Asking myself why I value these verbs led to some positive self-talk: I try to be honest, curious, zealous/enthusiastic, brave, and kind and hope to emulate these traits, personally and professionally. I hope others respond in turn but know I can only control me, not what others say or do.

So, onto the goals! What have I committed to, omitted, and workshopped in January 2023?

I’ve committed to the following 2023 goals in January:

• Publish research for Omit to Commit
• Run for fun at least once/week
• Support a nonprofit
• Continue swapping to vegan, sustainable, local wares

I’ve regularly worked on 4 goals this month! I feel ecstatic to share that I’ve given time to each of these. This is largely due to valuing my time alone, in a new-to-me term, Unicorn Time, where I feel fulfilled, engaged, and flow. Saturday mornings are reserved just for me, where I run (usually for fun, not worried about time or length), mediate on what I want to work on, head to the library for some writing and reading, and last thrift at my favorite shop, Arc, where Saturdays are 1/2 off days. Introversion is fun!

Publishing a book has been a cardinal goal of mine, long before I published this website in 2019. But now with my hook/title, Omit to Commit, I’m running with it. Usually a breadth person, I find connections across data-sets and disciplines, and that’s what leads to depth. (Liberal arts served me well!) I’m leaning into resource management for Omit to Commit. One key resource? Relationships! I’ve cultivated many deep friendships from all over the world, and I’d love your feedback on my research so far. January 20th’s post focused on spiritual and physical nourishment habits, and right now, I’m researching habits of fandoms (especially those on screen), styles and times of work, and minimalists/essentialists/maximalists. Which organizational behaviors should I focus on for February 20th’s post? Let me know in a comment here or connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Supporting a nonprofit regularly and sustainably is one addition from 2022 to 2023. I am now the Associate Director of Marketing at PawsCo, a volunteer-ran org for cats and dogs. I’m in a small but mighty team, and our regular check-ins keep me going. We’re fundraising, site building, making content and connections, and giving animals a second chance for a home, and ultimately that shared vision is seen in all of us volunteers. What a wonderful feeling, to honestly share and collaborate, making the world a better place for both animals and people!

No wonder swapping to vegan, sustainable goods has been easier: my relationships and environments also value this. Plus, it’s a process, so while I enjoyed a cheese plate once this month, I’ve found new-to-me delights, too. Pumpkin walnut dumplings for the new year (pictured), kale ramen on a date, and so many salads have given me energy, thus helping my runs and recovery times, too! In addition, I’m making swaps in shoes, will replace my wallet once it’s broken, and will get biodegradable floss.

I’ve omitted the following 2023 goals in January:

• Visit France
• Design tiny home

Why the omissions? My plan was to visit France over spring break. A good friend of mine is currently working there, but she has decided to head home a little earlier than anticipated. While it is disappointing we won’t do Paris together this year, it’s possible we will in the future. Similarly, I think I was looking for some travel-redemption, as I was very tired, anxious, and grieving Grandma when I visited Ireland last summer. Both France and Ireland aren’t going anywhere, if I try to visit again.

I am more disappointed by the tiny house goal. The organization I was looking at, Holy Ground Real Estate, may have federal investigation of its books for lying, cheating people out of their homes, and a whole bag of disgusting tricks. Honesty is one of my key values, and the fact that hundreds of thousands of dollars has been lost and countless folks are without homes, is repulsive to me. Fraud is never okay, and this nonprofit claimed to help others who were facing insecurities. Now even more are facing possible houselessness, due to greed, manipulation, and bad business. Certainly, I can consider a different organization to build a tiny home, but right now, I’m sitting in this disgust and disappointment while also grateful I did not give this so-called nonprofit any money. Ultimately, I am so glad to have a home with friends who have become my family.

Honoring the process, what’s left is many projects that are works in progress:

• Create art for its own sake/weekly
• Take myself on weekly dates
• Read before bed nightly to finish bookshelf
• Develop daily arm/ab routines

A “crapbook” is my current art for its own sake, and it’s been fun to collage the week’s papers and have a home for them, such as a ticket to The Climb finale, where I hugged and spoke with the winner, thanks to Chris’ media pass! But I hope to keep creating beyond words and collages. Colby gifted a polaroid camera, and so I occasionally snap some pics.

While Unicorn Time has provided some time for reading and writing, I’d still like to work on exploring Denver on self-dates and diving into a good book before bed. Book club has been such a joy, we’re reading a fascinating 80s sci-fi Dawn by Octavia E. Butler this month. I’m grateful I’ve kept gems like Plant-Based Athlete, which was some of my research for my last Omit to Commit post, We’re Speaking, which is where I first heard of Unicorn Time, and Colby’s copy of Bird by Bird, which helped me understand authorship from the lens of doing, not simply speaking.

Habit stacking, I often go for a run, then work on my abs and arms. This has helped me develop more core strength, but I don’t want to depend on running to get the rest of my workout in. I understand that these defining muscles take time, as well as some diligent rest, but I need to pencil in 10 minutes after walks, too. Or maybe I just need to join a gym already. Covid’s making me a little nervous.

I think it’s fascinating that each habit category has a variety of commitments, omissions, or works in progress this month. In other words, I didn’t stick to just creating in January, I also learned and served a lot, too. By having 5 well-defined emotional values and 5 physical habits, it’s wonderful to see that both habits and values are being considered. On that note, the next writing you’ll see is February 10th’s post on the first N of Inner Compass. More publications to come include an update to my portfolio, slated for February 10th too, and (perhaps) a new logo.

Over to you, how was January 2023? Did you set any goals and succeed in practicing them? Or did you focus on other ideas, such as values and habits?